Bridgestone Jerez Preview

Spain’s Circuito de Jerez hosts round three of the 2013 MotoGP™ season as the championship prepares for its first race on European soil this year.

With Spanish riders winning the first two races of what has been an exciting season so far, a large and enthusiastic crowd is expected at the Jerez circuit this weekend. At 4.423 kilometers in length, the circuit’s flowing layout has produced many exciting battles over the years and testing in dry conditions earlier this year saw the top ten riders produce lap times within one second of each other, so the signs are good for another close contest this weekend.

Comprising eight right-hand and five left-hand corners, Jerez is the only circuit on the calendar that doesn’t require asymmetric rear slicks. The three options of symmetric rear slick available at Jerez - the extra-soft, soft and medium compounds – are towards the softer end of the range Bridgestone provides to ensure optimum warm-up performance and safety at a venue that can experience a wide range of temperatures. The softer rear slick options also ensure maximum grip at high lean angles which is important at Jerez where good corner speed is crucial to making competitive lap times. The emphasis on edge grip over braking stability is also reflected in the front slick tire allocation for this race, where the soft and medium compound options are offered.

Following tire analysis at the Jerez pre-season test at the end of March, Bridgestone quickly acted to revise its wet tire allocation for the upcoming race weekend. Alongside the main specification, hard wet tire compound, an alternative extra-hard rear wet tire will be offered for greater durability against the abrasive Jerez tarmac. The Spanish Grand Prix is the only race on the calendar where an extra-hard wet tire option will be made available.